“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” – Stephanie Perkins – Author

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve – 1952-2004 – Actor-Director-Activist

“It’s not about thinking outside the box.  It’s about realizing there is no box.” – Jari Askins – Judge-Lawyer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the dissuading gentleman from Connecticut, Ed Perry)

Ata presented group photos of club members volunteering for the Crisis Nursery Holiday shop with Kappa Delta Sorority and Books to Prisoners.

Bucket bucks for December are going towards Austin’s Place. January’s bucket bucks will go towards helping Andrea Fain’s international health clinic. Suggestions are welcome for future monthly club Bucket Bucks contributions.

Robb and Tod announced that Sola Gratia’s fruit purchasing and pickup starts this Saturday at Lincoln Square.

Darrell noted that entrants for the singing at the Karaoke Fundraiser are needed. Each local Rotary Club will be asked to provide a group of singers to perform. Our club will be providing a group and volunteers are needed. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

12/19 – CUSRC’s annual Holiday Party with the Elephant Gift Exchange and cookie exchange. Holiday attire is welcomed!

12/26 – No Meeting

PROGRAM

Cary introduced Brendan McGinty as our morning’s speaker. Brendan has been the Director of Industry at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for the last 10 years. He has been involved at various levels at the University of Illinois, including Director of Industry for Artificial Intelligence Innovations. 

Brendan was introduced to the power of computers at the University of Illinois as an eleven-year-old school student.  Brendan learned about the wonders of the computer from Donald L. Bitzer, the “father” of PLATO, Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations, and with Larry Smarr, the leading pioneer in scientific supercomputing applications, who was responsible for the University of Illinois securing the National Center of Supercomputing Applications.

Brendan started with a brief history of the University of Illinois’ beginnings in Computer Sciences and how the University was, and continues to be, a leader in today’s computer applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Brendan gave various examples of the many University of Illinois’ AI applications that are currently being used throughout the world by major industrial companies. AI can take data and produce a model on how to proceed with what can be done before production begins. The amount of information AI can assess in minutes and respond can save time and money. 

The future growth in AI applications is unlimited. The University of Illinois has the world’s top people and Illinois students are highly sought after as the need for these students continues to grow. 

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

December 19^th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26^th – No morning meeting

January 2^nd – Amanda Borden, Vice President of Development, Eastern Illinois Foodbank (Les)

January 9^th – Lauren Gramly, Business Specialist, Champaign Public Library, will discuss entrepreneurship (Lisa)

January 16^th – Dr. Pavlo Dziuba, Visiting Professor, Economics, UIUC   (Mary)

January 23^rd – Lynne Barnes, Advocates for Aging Care (Michael)

January 30^th – TBD

February 6^th – Karaoke fundraiser (no AM meeting)

February 13^th – TBD (Cary)

February 20^th – Club Assembly

February 27^th – TBD (Charlie)

March 6^th – TBD (Lisa)

March 13^th – TBD (Joe)

March 20^th – TBD (Les)

March 27^th – TBD (Mary)

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

December 29 – Jerry Payonk

“Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too.  Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it.” – Diane Sawyer – American Broadcast Journalist

“The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes – 1841-1935 – Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott – 1832-1888 – Novelist-Short Story Writer-Poet

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Eddie Perry)

Tod distributed information about Sola Gratia Farm’s Fresh Fruit Fundraiser.

Lisa noted that volunteers are needed for January’s breakfast preparation. 

Dec. 14, 10am-7pm – Salvation Army Bell Ringing at Walmart in Champaign

Dec. 19 – Sunrise Holiday Party with White Elephant gifts and cookie exchange

Dec. 26 – No Meeting

Bucket Bucks for December will go to Austin’s Place.

PROGRAM

Joe introduced Molly Cornyn, Project Coordinator for the 2025 Ebert Film Festival. Molly is a Champaign native with college degrees in media studies and in producing film and television. Her previous work includes five years working for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas as an entertainment public relations coordinator and a film and special events manager.

Molly is now back in town and is helping to plan the upcoming Roger Ebert Film Festival for the U of I College of Media. Molly presented background information on Roger Ebert and on the film festival which will be celebrating its 25th year this coming April 23-26.

While the full film schedule is yet to be announced, a special one of a kind film will be shown. The 75mm film of John Ford’s “The Searchers” will be shown. This 1959 film is considered by many as one of the top 100 films ever made and this 75mm showing at the Virginia theater is a one of a kind presentation.

Festival Sponsorships and Full Festival passes, for all 12+movies, are currently on sale with individual movie passes going on sale April 1, 2025. 

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

December 12^th – Brendan  McGinty, UIUC, will discuss AI (Cary)

December 19^th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26^th – No morning meeting

January 2^nd – Amanda Borden, Vice President of Development, Eastern Illinois Foodbank (Les)

January 9^th – TBD (Lisa)

January 16^th – Dr. Pavlo Dziuba, Visiting Professor, Economics, UIUC   (Mary)

January 23^rd – Lynne Barnes, Advocates for Aging Care (Michael)

January 30^th – TBD

February 6^th – TBD

February 13^th – TBD

February 20^th – TBD

February 27^th – TBD

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

December 29 – Jerry Payonk

“Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is most important.” – Junko Tabei – 1939-2016 – Mountaineer-Author-Teacher

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – 1756-1791 – Composer of the Classical Period

Give without remembering and always receive without forgetting. – Unknown

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by Lisa Crane)

Thanks to Mary Kay and Charlie for hosting breakfast in November.

We still need members to sign up for breakfast for the month of January. Your expenses will be

reimbursed. If you want more information, please see Lisa Crane.

Thanks to everyone who helped make The Veteran’s dinner a huge success! We had at least

13 veterans from CHEZ attend.

Sola Gratia is now selling fruit. Tod will send out more information if you would like to

spread the word to help them sell. They are selling grapefruit, mandarins and pears.

Football picks we are doing ok with our standings.

Our bucket money for November will go to the Rotary Foundation.

CUSR HOLIDAY PARTY

Our annual CUSR holiday party will take place on Thursday, December 19^th during our normal meeting time.  This year will feature, among other things, a white elephant gift exchange as well as a cookie exchange.  For the cookie exchange, please bring four dozen (homemade or store bought) cookies to share.

UPCOMING DATES

Dec 7th – 8:30-10:30am – Crisis Nursery Children’s Holiday Shop @ the Orpheum Theater

Dec 9th – 3-5pm – Feeding Our Kids – Volunteer Center @ Eastern Illinois Foodbank

Dec. 14th – 10am-6pm – Salvation Army Bell-Ringing – Champaign Walmart on N. Prospect

Sign-ups can be done on DACdb.

SPEAKER

The speaker this week was our very own Garrett Colbert.  Garrett posed the question: Why would Southern California parents consider moving to Champaign for their retirement?? Their only daughter secured a position as a counselor in Savoy, Illinois. They wanted to be close to her, so six weeks later they sold their home, bought a home in Morrissey Park, and moved to Champaign!

Garrett noted that shortly after they moved in there was a knock on the door and they were greeted by Scott and Cindy Paisley who had flowers and food in hand. Scott suggested coming to a Rotary meeting. The first Rotarian to reach out during the meeting was Mary Kay. Mary Kay and Paul were influential in his quest for membership. Darrell also made him feel welcome. Garrett felt that the Sunrise club members had similar interests as he is a morning person. Joining Rotary has been a great opportunity to meet people because the only person he knew in Champaign-Urbana was his daughter.

Garrett will be starting a 13-week entrepreneur program at the Library.  He will get others to come in and talk to the kids about their work experiences.

Garrett was raised in Washington, DC area and has three siblings – two brothers and a sister.  He attended Towson University and earned a degree in social work.  Garrett taught a class in Health Science and worked in a psychiatric hospital, Shepard Pratt, counseling kids 12 and older.  He then moved to Chicago area and worked in the psychiatric facility at Michael Reese Hospital.

Garrett needed a change so he took a position with a trucking company, MidAmerican Lines and completed their management training program. He became Vice President of Sales & Marketing. They relocated five times in six years so relocation and vacation was how it worked. He spent 25 yrs in transportation.

Garrett also worked for a communications company like Zoom before it became popular, a software company, and he started his own consulting practice for entrepreneurs.  He was involved with Junior Achievement and helped a team win San Diego shark tank and

moved on to Nationals and that same team won Nationals.

Garrett was asked how he met his wife, and he noted that Judy was in the Airforce for four years before college. Thus, she was a non-traditional student in his health science class. They were both in a relationship at the time, but four years later she got in touch with him to return a book and then they started dating.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

December 5^th – Molly Cornyn, Project Coordinator, Roger Ebert’s Film Festival (Joe)

December 12^th – Brendan  McGinty, UIUC, will discuss AI (Cary)

December 19^th – CUSR Holiday Party

December 26^th – No morning meeting

January 2^nd – Amanda Borden, Vice President of Development, Eastern Illinois Foodbank (Les)

January 9^th – TBD (Lisa)

January 16^th – Dr. Pavlo Dziuba, Visiting Professor, Economics, UIUC   (Mary)

January 23^rd – Lynne Barnes, Advocates for Aging Care (Michael)

January 30^th – TBD

February 6^th – TBD

February 13^th – TBD

February 20^th – TBD

February 27^th – TBD

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

December 1 – Larry Johnson

December 29 – Jerry Payonk